New Zealand indie outfit The Phoenix Foundation have been around since the late '90s, but Buffalo, their fourth full-length and first offering for UK-based Memphis Industries, has the feel of a well-conceived and brilliantly incubated debut. The Wellington six-piece aren't breaking new ground - far from it, in fact - but they do what they do with the sort of offhand vigour that makes each song here feel important and immediate.

The Phoenix Foundation are perhaps best known in some circles from their soundtrack work for Taika Waititi's excellent 2007 film Eagle vs Shark, which featured a pre-Conchords Jemaine Clement falling in love to the rhythms of The Phoenix Foundation's Apples And Tangerines. But in those days, The Phoenix Foundation rocked a bit harder and injected their tunes with an undeniably straightforward sticky-sweetness that was certainly catchy, but ultimately not so memorable.

Buffalo, on the other hand, is populated with sparse, atmospheric indie pop built on simplicity and fragile arrangements. At the fore is Sam Flynn Scott's subtly twee - but ultimately bemused - tenor, singing through thick reverb lines like: "Well, this is no joke. I really am broke, and all that you can say is 'Look at that birdie'" (Bailey's Beach). There are plenty of moments in which The Phoenix Foundation risk fading into the background, such is the quiet gentleness of their aesthetic, but close listening reveals Buffalo as a showcase for a sort of song-craft brilliance.

The album opens with the slowly wafting Eventually, which serves to lull the listener into the album's atmospheric dreamscape. "And this is the line, walking in our raincoats," Scott sings about a whimsical trip up Mt Victoria, surrounded by soaring harmonies and layered but spacious embellishments. Lead single Buffalo opens sounding a bit like something The Magic Numbers may have come up with in their heyday. "I am the buffalo. Through the ocean I do roam," Scott sings of a mythical creature who wanders the Pacific floor.

Pot is simply an excellent tune with its lush acoustic strumming, lazy handclaps and tribal-sounding harmonies (reminiscent at times of Wings' Mrs Vanderbilt). It builds to dizzying expanses before fading into the album's standout track, Bitte Bitte. This is indie pop at its indelible best.

"And all of the squats have been turned into gallery spaces, and the punks on the corner, what's that looks on their faces," Scott sings. "It says what do we do now that all the yuppies replaced us?" The interplay of bounding acoustic guitar, lilting electrics and distorted falsetto wailing are sure to inspire a grin from even the most cynical listener; it's music made for sunny summer Sunday afternoons.

Buffalo as a whole is a summer album released in the dead of winter, and only ten days into the new year, it's already one to beat. Certainly, The Phoenix Foundation are the sort of band who fly well below the mainstream radar, but their brand of songwriting deserves to be celebrated on a wide scale. Until they're discovered by a big primetime television programme - and that day will surely come - those who know can rest assured that Buffalo is another strong entry in their impressive catalogue.

In what way? Does he still whisper sing? I dug The Shepard's Dog, however he's not someone I readily check out with every new release.

So what happens when one of the most exciting young producers around reworks one of the most acclaimed albums from a true legend? The result is Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx's We're New Here which sees Jamie xx re-imagining thirteen tracks from the original I'm New Here album sessions. * In February 2010, Gil Scott-Heron released I'm New Here, his first album in 13 years. Produced by XL Recordings head Richard Russell during various studio sessions in New York, the album was enthusiastically received by fans and critics alike. * Meanwhile, the last eighteen months have been meteoric for Jamie xx. His band The xx's self titled debut album (which Jamie produced) received huge acclaim, picking up 2010's prestigious Mercury Music Prize, while Jamie garnered respect for his remixes (in particular of Florence & The Machine's `You've Got The Love' and more recently Adele's Rolling In The Deep) and solo productions (single `Far Nearer' on Numbers).

Blast Records is proud to announce the signing of the legendary NEW YORK DOLLS and the release of their fifth full-length album, “Dancing Backward in High Heels”, released in the UK on Monday 14th March 2011, followed by a full pan-European release on Friday 18th March 2011. The follow-up to 2009′s “Cause I Sez So” was recorded in September 2010 at Blast Recording Studios in Newcastle, England with producer Jason Hill (Louis XIV/The Killers). The album features original NYD members, David Johansen (vocals) and Sylvain Sylvain (guitar) with Brian Delaney (drums), Jason Hill (bass) and original Blondie guitarist Frank Infante. The CD will be packaged with a bonus DVD filmed during the recording of the album, incorporating previously unseen footage and “live” audio tracks from the bands three sold-out performances at The Cluny venue in Newcastle, on September 4th, 5th and 6th 2010.

With record sales non existent, why doesn't Johansen release this as a solo thing? I'm not some big time traditionalist or anything, but this isn't the fucking New York Dolls.

Completely agree. If it was a Johansen solo joink I'd be mildly amused by it, but as a Dolls album it's a travesty.

Rodney DeCroo’s 2005 live record, War Torn Man, was an instant classic, and it was only his second release. He followed with 2008′s quietly effective Mockingbird Bible, which dropped the widescreen country rockers, but made for great company during midnight bouts of narcotic depression.

On his latest, the Vancouver, BC-based singer-songwriter migrates between both poles, covering all points in between across a sprawling, inspired double album. DeCroo shuffles noir-ish genre exercises like “Elijah, Come On!” with the Crazy Horse crunch’n'plod of “Riverboat,” while his band, the Convictions ― with no less than Carolyn Mark on backing vocals ― swing beautifully from vicious rockers like “Paris Spleen” to such indelibly pretty tracks as “Voyager.” DeCroo splits the difference on the astounding “Minotaur,” pouring acid on his psychic wounds, against an almost pillow-y sound. The result is like soft rock with fangs. As ever, DeCroo’s best subject is himself, largely because his biography is a horror show of madness, violence and addiction. Canada certainly has bigger roots stars, but none who write as vividly and affectingly about the road back from Hell. “You ain’t Steve Earle, you ain’t Neil Young, you ain’t Bob Dylan,” he sings in “You Ain’t No One.” But he is Rodney DeCroo, which is really starting to count for something.

while his band, the Convictions ― with no less than Carolyn Mark on backing vocals

fuck me this is great.

The Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo

Liking this one.

hmmm - need a PW for that Mind Spiders...

This good.

Marco/Foam - worth tracking this one down eh ?
Comparing it to classic pop/xtc/beatles. Sound about right?

Eddie Spaghetti

Man, I was disappointed by that one. He sounds like he's not even trying.

Haven't heard it yet or the other two for that matter. Hoping I disagree but who knows. I'm assuming it's country'ish which means there's at least some potential for it to be more to my liking than yours.

Thanks for posting that! I'd totally missed it because it was described as "indie".